Why doing things that don’t scale is essential for early product success

Engaging in product decisions that don't scale can be crucial for long-term success, as these personalized, manual efforts provide valuable customer insights and improve product quality. Initially resource-intensive, this approach involves activities like direct customer engagement, tailored support, and manual processes that help prevent early customer dissatisfaction, manage resource strain, and reduce financial risk. Companies like Airbnb, Dropbox, Zappos, and Google have successfully implemented such strategies in their early stages to refine their offerings before transitioning to scalable solutions. Transitioning involves identifying core customer needs, standardizing processes, and implementing automation while maintaining some non-scalable practices to continue gathering feedback and testing new areas. The balance between scalable and non-scalable efforts remains vital as products grow, ensuring sustained quality and customer satisfaction.